AgESCI marked June 2nd—Italy's Republic Day—in a distinctive way. The organization held "At Your Own Pace: Pathways of Welcome in AGESCI," a national conference on welcoming young people with disabilities. The choice was deliberate. It reflected the Covenant that guides the association: "The purpose of the association is to contribute, according to the principle of self-education, to the growth of young people as meaningful and happy persons" while respecting "the life and dignity of every person" and showing "the will to see the other as brother or sister," directing energy especially "where situations of marginality exist" and accepting "the responsibility to give voice to those who have none." These are not vague principles. They are binding commitments, inscribed in AGESCI's "Magna Charta"—its Covenant—which every Scout leader pledges to uphold at the start of their role. They align perfectly with Article 2 of Italy's Constitution: "The Republic recognizes and guarantees the inviolable rights of man, whether as an individual or in the social organizations in which his personality unfolds, and it requires the fulfillment of the inescapable duties of political, economic and social solidarity."
For Scouting, then, there is no choice: open the doors of Scout groups to children and young people with disabilities, and periodically ask yourselves: "Where do we stand on inclusion?"
On June 2nd, about 300 Scout educators from across Italy gathered at AGESCI's national base in Bracciano to reflect on what it means today to welcome children and young people with disabilities into Scout groups. Young people with disabilities make up roughly 3 percent of AGESCI membership—a figure nearly identical to that in public schools. This presence engages educators and Scouts daily in work toward welcome, integration, and recognizing the dignity of each person.
The conference had two phases. In the morning, plenary sessions featured presentations by Anna Contardi (national coordinator of the Italian Association of People with Down Syndrome), Andrea Canevaro (professor emeritus at the University of Bologna), and Sister Veronica Donatello (head of catechesis for people with disabilities at the Italian Episcopal Conference). Afternoon sessions broke into small working groups led by specialists and Scout educators who went deeper into specific topics of welcome and integration. Participants chose two workshops from those offered:
The Family - What families expect when they choose AGESCI as an educational agency. How to build positive relationships between Scout leadership and families.
The Network Around Us
- We do not welcome alone: how to offer a structured, coordinated educational service across the territory—public and private sectors together. This workshop included representatives from three organizations, including Faith and Light. The Peer Group - The community that welcomes: roles and responsibilities in peer educational dynamics. Unified Personal Progress - Tools, resources, and strategies for accompanying young people through their personal growth journey. Life After Scouts - After Scouting, the road opens: pathways—within AGESCI and beyond—for young people who complete their Scout education. Inclusive Catechesis - Biblical workshop: making Scripture accessible to young people with cognitive disabilities. Points of View: New Paradigms - Experiential workshop: diversity as a gift through reciprocity. How ready are we to change our habits to let ourselves be welcomed? Morning presentations showed remarkable agreement. All speakers stressed that welcoming and including a young person with a disability fosters independence, helps them grow at their own pace within their community, and transforms education itself. It teaches educators to use multiple senses and embodied language to reach everyone, avoiding marginalization while recognizing the person's talents, gifts, and possibilities beyond disability. It sparks the animator's creativity and the small community's ingenuity, proposing fresh activities continuously—and giving young people without disabilities the chance to practice attentiveness to others and their needs. Young people with disabilities, in short, make Scouting better for everyone. Afternoon workshops offered direct exchange between specialists and Scout educators. They addressed difficult questions about integrating young people with disabilities and reflected on efforts that had not succeeded, trying to understand what went wrong. I participated in the family workshop in two roles: as a Scout educator and as the parent of a young woman with a disability who spent ten years in an AGESCI group. I was joined by another mother from Genoa, who shared her story. Her family had known AGESCI only since her daughter joined. Though our circumstances differed—different cities, different disabilities, different people—our daughters' experiences revealed striking parallels. Both showed how essential it is that families and Scout leaders work together, sharing the educational vision and sustaining the journey. A good placement depends on a delicate balance: patience, trust, and continuity. Success rests on many factors, but the humility, openness, and creativity of educators—combined with parents' confidence in them—are crucial. They allow a young person with a disability to participate joyfully in the group, to have powerful experiences that will prove invaluable when facing the adventure of adult life. Lucina Spaccia, 2018What is AGESCI?
The Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts (AGESCI) was founded in 1974 from the union of two existing organizations (boy Scouts and girl Guides). It aims to contribute to the formation of young people according to the principles and methods of Scouting, adapted to girls and boys in today's Italian social reality. AGESCI is recognized by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), is part of the Italian Association of Social Promotion Organizations (APS), belongs to the Third Sector Forum and Libera, and is recognized by the Department of Civil Protection. More than 185,000 people belong to AGESCI across Italy. For more information: agesci.it